EVERETT — What’s the most remarkable thing about Vitali Karamnov since he joined the Everett Silvertips?
No, it’s not the goal he scored in last Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Portland, his first in the WHL. Nor is it the great play he made to set up another soon after.
It’s not his Hollywood face, nor the impeccable English that comes from an 18-year-old native of Russia.
The most remarkable thing about Karamnov is that he ever arrived in Everett in the first place.
Given the current conditions, getting hockey players out of Russia often requires something akin to a CIA spook operation. But for Karamnov and the Silvertips, the process proved far easier than the norm.
“The European draft is such a crapshoot,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said. “Everything kind of fell into place and we were lucky enough that he was there and we took him. You just hope he shows up.”
Karamnov came to Everett with impressive credentials. Last season he had 27 goals and 26 assists in 50 games for Dynamo Moscow’s reserve team, and he also captained Russia’s gold medal-winning team at the U-18 World Championships. He was rated the 19th-best European skater in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final rankings for this year’s NHL draft.
So why would the two-way centerman go unpicked in the NHL draft and fall to 60th overall in the Canadian Hockey League import draft?
That’s where the accident of his birthplace comes into play.
The International Ice Hockey Federation, hockey’s international governing body, and the Russian Hockey Federation currently have no transfer agreement. That means that Russian teams are not obligated to release their players to North American teams.
This has caused all sorts of problems for Russians seeking to play in North America. Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin essentially had to smuggle himself out of Russia in a manner similar to Cuban baseball stars. Just nine Russians, far fewer than usual, were selected in this year’s NHL draft, and just two were taken in the import draft. Brandon, the other team to select a Russian, had no luck getting defenseman Kapitan Stupino out of Russia.
But Karamnov is no ordinary Russian, at least in relation to North America. His father, of the same name, played 1992-95 in the U.S., including 92 games with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. Karamnov thus spent several of his formative years in the U.S. and took a liking to the culture.
“I lived in the U.S.A. and I really liked it,” Karamnov said. “All my life I wanted to live in the USA or Canada. I wanted to go last season, but my dad didn’t want me to go. He didn’t think I was ready yet for hard hockey here.”
That’s where his father’s position as a coach in Russia’s national junior setup came into play. His insider status gave him the opportunity to go to the Russian Hockey Federation and ask for his son’s release, which was granted.
Soetaert just happened to be one of those aware Karamnov was given his release.
“His agent indicated to us (Karamnov) was interested in coming over and that it was the right situation,” Soetaert said. “We didn’t know he was coming over until two weeks before the European draft that his father got authorization from the Russian Hockey Federation.
“We kept it quiet and the agent didn’t go broadcasting it, so I guess we had a little bit of an advantage,” Soetaert added. “But you don’t know. There’s other kids who say they want to come play for you and they’re picked ahead of you.”
Karamnov’s arrival in Everett caught the hockey community by surprise. The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers quickly invited Karamnov to training camp, with the Oilers brass proclaiming they had Karamnov rated at the end of the first round and would have taken him if they knew he was coming to North America. The Oilers even unsuccessfully tried to find a way to circumvent the collective bargaining agreement to sign Karamnov as a free agent.
Now that he’s here Karamnov is settling in, and thanks to his previous experience in the U.S. the adjustment is going faster than with many Europeans.
“I like it here, I don’t miss home,” Karamnov said. “It’s very fun here. The guys are helping me a lot, nice people, nice city. It’s great here.”
On the ice Karamnov had a slow start. With the Tips beginning the season with three Europeans and just two roster slots available, Karamnov spent three of Everett’s first five games watching from the stands, and he had just one assist through his first five games. But he had a breakout performance last Saturday and the Tips are hoping that’s just the beginning.
“It’s difficult for everybody who comes over from Europe because there’s so many barriers to overcome,” Everett coach John Becanic said. “But he’s super coachable and really wants to get better. I’m not saying all Europeans aren’t, but he’s very unique in the sense that he’s very concerned about doing the right things.
“I think he brings a lot of hard work and I think he brings some skills like we saw Saturday night.”
And the Tips are fortunate that circumstances lined up in such that they were the ones who got to find that out.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
